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July 2057
Heart thundering, I burst through the gate, thankful for the sturdy chassis of the old Border Patrol dune buggy beneath us. Its heavy-duty bumper plowed through the chain link fence like a battering ram. The bridge crossing the Hoover Dam rose up in the distance—my last chance for escape. With nothing but endless desert ahead, our pursuers would have no choice but to turn back.
Neutrino rays blasted past me, coming out of nowhere through the broken windshield and burning a hole in the seat next to my head. Another seared through my shoulder, tearing a ragged cry of pain from my throat. But with the men in the pickup truck closing the distance behind us, I couldn’t stop. Ignoring the blood pouring from the wound and the hot coals radiating down my arm, I winced and clung to the steering wheel as we swerved off the road. Garnet screamed and I skidded back onto the cracked pavement, dust flying.
“We’re almost there!” At least I hoped we were. If the Industry caught us again, there would be no escaping a second time. My stomach twisted as the pickup drew in behind me.
Garnet lifted her head. “You’re hurt, Lily.” Her horror-stricken expression told me the injury looked as nasty as it felt. I sucked in a breath as the flesh began to bind itself back together. The wound closed within seconds, leaving me with a dull throb and Garnet staring wide-eyed. She’d seen me heal myself before—small cuts and bruises disappearing before her eyes—but a neutrino blaster usually tore flesh from bone and left a gaping hole behind. Garnet’s jaw dropped.
Tyler, our other passenger, yelled, “Watch out!” He ducked and laid himself across the backseat.
A round of bullets showered the vehicle from behind, riddling the dashboard with holes. Garnet shrieked and dropped her head between her knees. Behind us, a beast of a pickup truck closed in—likely border guards charged with stopping water thieves. Whoever they were, they weren’t playing games. I sped up, knowing I couldn’t outrun them in the solar-powered dune buggy, and hoping that once we crossed the state line, they would be more interested in protecting Lake Mead than capturing us.
The massive lake filled the landscape, stretching to the brown lifeless hills beyond. A long, arcing bridge ahead straddled an abyss. I had to lose the creeps on my tail before we hit the high, narrow expanse. I pressed on, creating a small gap between us and the vehicle racing up from behind.
The fishy musk of the Colorado River reached my nose from below. It was the only water source for miles and the Industry had total control of it—diverting the flow to Vegas and ultimately depriving the Southwest of water—making life impossible for anyone trying to survive outside the government-run cities.
I darted a glance in the rearview, pressed harder on the accelerator, and adjusted to stay in the lead. Hopefully, our pursuers thought we were rebels bent on theft or sabotage rather than escapees from government custody. I had to believe that if they knew who we were, there would be an army after us and armed drones overhead.
The truck came up fast and slammed into my rear bumper. My head jolted forward.
“Faster!” Garnet braced for another blow.
“I’m trying!” Adrenaline flooded my veins as I pressed my foot to the floor.
If we fell into the hands of the Industry again, Garnet would almost certainly be sold to slavers, and Tyler and I would be pawns in the Vice President’s scheme to vacate Earth and take the solar barrier technology with him. I couldn’t let that happen or the planet and its inhabitants would never survive.
Gripping the steering wheel and bracing myself one more time, I waited for the other driver to attempt another collision. At the last second I slammed my foot on the brake and swerved. The truck nicked my bumper, sending us into a spin. As the other driver braked hard, the truck pitched sideways, veered off the road, and flipped into a roll down the opposite embankment. I skidded to a halt and looked on as smoke rose from the scene. After a moment’s hesitation, I hit the accelerator and sped forward onto the bridge.
“Oh, no!” Garnet cried.
Far ahead stood a tall gate protected by two Guardians, both armed with neutrino blasters. The eight-foot-high robotic monsters—their appendages poised like spider legs beneath claw-like limbs—were no doubt the culprits responsible for the smell of burnt flesh that clung to my newly healed skin and singed clothing. Even at great distances, neutrino blasters were deadly, and two of them were currently aimed our way. There would be no getting past the Guardians by challenging them head on. I needed a diversion. Before I could react, they fired.
I swerved and dodged, barely escaping both blasts. One tore clear through the vehicle, front window to back. The other went wide. Garnet’s high-pitched scream as she ducked again sent my nerves into overdrive and I nearly veered off the bridge.
“Do you still have your Bull Dog?”
Garnet popped up in surprise as if she’d forgotten she had it. She reached into a boot holster and pulled out the gun, clumsily checking the revolver’s chambers.
“There are only two bullets left,” she said, her voice panicky.
“It’ll work. Wait until we’re close enough and then aim for the transformer.” I pointed to a huge box at the end of the bridge, high up on a pole above where the Guardians stood blocking our way.
She gripped the gun with both hands and pointed unsteadily. “I can’t!”
“You have to,” Tyler and I said together as I dodged another laser blast. I swerved and slowed down when we neared the end of the bridge and came into range.
Garnet fired and missed. She swore and turned to me.
“Here! You do it. You’re a better shot than me.”
“I’m driving!”
She thrust the gun at me. Time was running out. Slamming on the brakes, I skidded to a halt. I took the handgun and rested my arm over the steering wheel to brace it, aimed high, and fired. The bullet hit its target. The hydroelectric transformer exploded. Sparks flew and the two monstrous robots turned their weapons skyward to protect against the assault raining down. I ditched the empty revolver, leaned back into my seat, and locked my arms on the steering wheel. “Hold on...and stay down.” Then I jammed the accelerator to the floor.
